Our Fan base is upset with Richt as the OC, to be frank, because they don’t understand the offense that he is designing and implementing nor do they understand what he is asking of the QB (Kayaa). So I figured this would be a good time to define that term "pro style offense". From this you can debate what Pro-Style offense Richt is running and what it is he is trying to do. You will also have a better understanding of why it is taking Kayaa so long to learn the system. But keep this in mind, there is a saying to college QB's coming into the NFL: “Everyone just got better except you”. This is because it usually takes a QB at least 10-14 starts to learn the system. At this point Kayaa has had only five starts. So here we go.
First, there is no singular pro style. Most coaches, players, and students of the game will say that there are really five "pro style offenses":
The current pro style offenses in use by all 32 NFL teams are:
• (Generic) Pro Set - The default offense for the NFL between 1960 and even today comprised of 2 WRs, 1 TE. Most other offenses are extensions of this Pro Set.
• Zampese-Coryell "Air Coryell" - An extension of the Pro Set used by Don Coryell from 1978 to 1986 that makes the tight end more of a receiver than a blocker, as is the case with the Pro Set.
This offense is run out of the Pro Set, but differentiates itself from the base offense by using pre-snap reads after putting a receiver in motion. Receivers get open by creating seams forced by the pre-snap reads, motion, and the patterns adjusted after the read (very similar to the Spurrier Fun N' Gun). This offense is still used today by the Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and by other teams with elements of the Spread.
• Erhardt-Perkins "New England Offense" - An extension of the Pro Set used by Ron Erhardt and Ray Perkins in the late 1970s. This offense focuses on time of possession with grinding running backs. As offenses evolved in the 1980s, the play-action became a popular way to set up a deep vertical game. In modern times, the New England Offense is often mixed with elements of the Spread by New England (this offense is de-evolving from pure Erhardt-Perkins over time) Kansas City (this offense is looking more Pro Set or spread, depending on the QB), and the New York Giants.
• Bill Walsh "West Coast" - An extension of the Pro Set used by Bill Walsh that emphasizes short passes to open up the running game. Like the Air Coryell, the West Coast uses elements of the playbook to open up passing lanes that are set up by the running game, but differs through the use of short passes to the edges. San Francisco and a host of other teams still use this offense.
• Generic smash mouth - A generic name for the Pro Set that focuses on large fullbacks as lead blockers, strong tight ends that create running lanes, and powerful running backs that grind out 3 to 4 yards at a time.
Any of these offenses are considered "pro style". Since the early part of the decade, more and more elements of the spread have been appearing throughout the NFL. In college, these five offenses are still prevalent. When most people complain about "kiddie college offenses", they are talking about pure Spread using the zone read, and spread option using the option, or any combination thereof. The Run and Shoot also faced similar criticism in the 1980s and 1990s despite its success in the NFL and in college, as well as CFL. The New York Giants actually employ some Run and Shoot elements today. The Steve Spurrier Fun N' Gun shared elements of the Run and Shoot and the Air Coryell, even beyond the cosmetic commonalities.
The Challenge For Richt:
Richt don't necessarily need to be Belichik or Meyer in order to design an effective hybrid offense around his personnel; he only has to possess a vision of such an offense, the imagination to recognize daring details that lend themselves to such an approach, and the will to implement and further modify the overall work-in-progress as it finds its rhythm, growing confidence and success.
The Keys To This Discussion:
• Understanding what is a Pro Style Offense.
• Understanding the basic extensions used with a pro set that forms a Pro Style Offense.
• Understand what Richt is asking the QB (Kayaa) to do.
• Understand what you are actually seeing when you watch the offense on the field.
• Understand why the principles, concepts and schemes used in each extension is so important to learn and takes so long to master.
Before we can properly critique Richt as an OC we must first have an understanding of pro style offenses. Then the next question we will need to answer - Is Richt an architect, implementer, both or neither?
[video=youtube;cr-QbI1Ke1Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr-QbI1Ke1Y[/video]
App State:
[video=youtube;STbXcFHL0Nk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STbXcFHL0Nk[/video]
First, there is no singular pro style. Most coaches, players, and students of the game will say that there are really five "pro style offenses":
The current pro style offenses in use by all 32 NFL teams are:
• (Generic) Pro Set - The default offense for the NFL between 1960 and even today comprised of 2 WRs, 1 TE. Most other offenses are extensions of this Pro Set.
• Zampese-Coryell "Air Coryell" - An extension of the Pro Set used by Don Coryell from 1978 to 1986 that makes the tight end more of a receiver than a blocker, as is the case with the Pro Set.
This offense is run out of the Pro Set, but differentiates itself from the base offense by using pre-snap reads after putting a receiver in motion. Receivers get open by creating seams forced by the pre-snap reads, motion, and the patterns adjusted after the read (very similar to the Spurrier Fun N' Gun). This offense is still used today by the Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and by other teams with elements of the Spread.
• Erhardt-Perkins "New England Offense" - An extension of the Pro Set used by Ron Erhardt and Ray Perkins in the late 1970s. This offense focuses on time of possession with grinding running backs. As offenses evolved in the 1980s, the play-action became a popular way to set up a deep vertical game. In modern times, the New England Offense is often mixed with elements of the Spread by New England (this offense is de-evolving from pure Erhardt-Perkins over time) Kansas City (this offense is looking more Pro Set or spread, depending on the QB), and the New York Giants.
• Bill Walsh "West Coast" - An extension of the Pro Set used by Bill Walsh that emphasizes short passes to open up the running game. Like the Air Coryell, the West Coast uses elements of the playbook to open up passing lanes that are set up by the running game, but differs through the use of short passes to the edges. San Francisco and a host of other teams still use this offense.
• Generic smash mouth - A generic name for the Pro Set that focuses on large fullbacks as lead blockers, strong tight ends that create running lanes, and powerful running backs that grind out 3 to 4 yards at a time.
Any of these offenses are considered "pro style". Since the early part of the decade, more and more elements of the spread have been appearing throughout the NFL. In college, these five offenses are still prevalent. When most people complain about "kiddie college offenses", they are talking about pure Spread using the zone read, and spread option using the option, or any combination thereof. The Run and Shoot also faced similar criticism in the 1980s and 1990s despite its success in the NFL and in college, as well as CFL. The New York Giants actually employ some Run and Shoot elements today. The Steve Spurrier Fun N' Gun shared elements of the Run and Shoot and the Air Coryell, even beyond the cosmetic commonalities.
The Challenge For Richt:
Richt don't necessarily need to be Belichik or Meyer in order to design an effective hybrid offense around his personnel; he only has to possess a vision of such an offense, the imagination to recognize daring details that lend themselves to such an approach, and the will to implement and further modify the overall work-in-progress as it finds its rhythm, growing confidence and success.
The Keys To This Discussion:
• Understanding what is a Pro Style Offense.
• Understanding the basic extensions used with a pro set that forms a Pro Style Offense.
• Understand what Richt is asking the QB (Kayaa) to do.
• Understand what you are actually seeing when you watch the offense on the field.
• Understand why the principles, concepts and schemes used in each extension is so important to learn and takes so long to master.
Before we can properly critique Richt as an OC we must first have an understanding of pro style offenses. Then the next question we will need to answer - Is Richt an architect, implementer, both or neither?
[video=youtube;cr-QbI1Ke1Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr-QbI1Ke1Y[/video]
App State:
[video=youtube;STbXcFHL0Nk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STbXcFHL0Nk[/video]
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